Health Watch: Can dogs help cure lung disease?

Quote of Note
"People may be a little startled at first to learn about this idea -- 'You're kidding me, you actually think there's promise in studying this dog to help my dad with this disease?' And the answer is -- 'Yes.'"
Mark Shreve, chief operating officer of the patient advocacy group Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, based in San Jose, Calif., on new theories about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The disease kills more than 40,000 people in the U.S. each year, and a condition just like it attacks West Highland White terriers. Doctors believe they can join forces with veteranarians to find the best treatment for the disease. – Source: HealthDay News
Health Tip: Setting the Record Straight on Hangovers
Here are some common alcohol-related myths and what really happens, courtesy of WebMD:
A morning mimosa eases a hangover: Not for long: The “hair of the dog that bit you” remedy just pushes a hangover to later in the day. Hangovers set in when blood-alcohol levels start to fall; the worst symptoms strike when levels reach zero, says alcohol researcher Robert Swift, M.D., Ph.D., of Brown University. A better a.m. cocktail: Gatorade, to replace lost electrolytes (the chemical messengers that help your body function effectively), and water, to counter dehydration (which can leave you weak, dizzy, light-headed, and cotton-mouthed).
Popping acetaminophen before bed makes the morning easier: You’re wrong about two things -- choice of drugs and timing. When you take acetaminophen, most of it is converted in the liver to harmless compounds. But when you’ve been drinking, the liver is so preoccupied with metabolizing the alcohol that it processes the painkiller in a separate pathway where these compounds can become toxic, causing liver inflammation and permanent damage. Stick to ibuprofen, says David J. Clayton, M.D., co-author of The Healthy Guide to Unhealthy Living. And, he says, don’t take it before bed: The drug’s effectiveness peaks in about four hours, so it won’t do anything for you by morning.
Eating before bed will mute a hangover: Nice try, but food has to be in your stomach before you drink to help a hangover. If you’re busy digesting steak, your martini will be delivered to your bloodstream more slowly, giving it less of a chance to accumulate to the headache-worthy levels. (All food slows digestion, but fat does it best.)
Beer before liquor, never been sicker: There’s nothing about the chemistry of these drinks interacting with each other that makes you sick the next day. With any alcohol, your inhibition to drink more diminishes as you drink, so you start drinking faster. If you stick with beer, you don’t get drunk as fast because its alcohol content is lower than that of liquor. If you switch to the hard stuff, you end up on the express train to hangover city.
Number to Know: 2
People in Massachusetts who recently died from drinking milk tainted with listeriosis, a GateHouse New England newspaper reported. What is listeriosis? According to the CDC, it is a serious infection caused by eating or drinking food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease affects primarily pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. For tips on how to avoid listeriosis, visit www.cdc.gov.
Children’s Health
According to a new study performed in Sweden, children who are exposed to secondhand smoke as babies are more likely than children who weren’t exposed to develop allergies to indoor allergens and food. Scientists think the smoke inflames airways and leads to sensitivity. – Source: Reauters Health
Senior Health
Fish oil – or more specifically, DHA – can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease if the oil is taken at the first signs of Alzheimer’s. Now scientists say they think they know why: People with Alzheimer’s generally have low levels of a brain protein called LR11. Fish oil contains an acid that causes brain cells to produce the LR11 protein. – Source: WebMD
Healing Herbs
WebMD recently released a list of 10 herbs that are starting to attract interest from scientists as being beneficial for a variety of conditions. Over the next couple weeks, we’ll highlight some of these healing herbs.
St. John's Wort: Research has confirmed this herb's power to relieve mild to moderate depression and anxiety as effectively as many drugs -- without a lot of the side effects. It also might help you sleep more soundly. St. John's wort not only contains melatonin, but it also increases the body's own melatonin, improving sleep, says a report from the Surgeon General.
GateHouse News Service

Market Place

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA ~ 33 New York Ave., Framingham, MA 01701 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service